


Faith Of The Heart

by mihrsuri



Series: Rewrite The Stars Mini Fics [9]
Category: The Tudors (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Bisexuality, Family, Multi, OT3, Originally Posted on Tumblr, Polyamory, Sibling Love, Tumblr Ask Box Fic, Tumblr Prompt, unfridgerating awesome women
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-17
Updated: 2019-03-17
Packaged: 2019-11-21 10:00:30
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 491
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18140735
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mihrsuri/pseuds/mihrsuri
Summary: Mary Tudor and her siblings, in a different world.





	Faith Of The Heart

**Author's Note:**

  * For [AllegoriesInMediaRes (AllegoriesInMediasRes)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/AllegoriesInMediasRes/gifts).



Bess is the first one who notices. It’s only a moment, when Mary catches her sister looking at her but suddenly, suddenly Mary knows that Bess knows. It’s at a ball for the Spanish ambassadors who have been asking about a betrothal between Elizabeth and the Emperors son - which Mary thinks will probably come to nothing, though Bess is every inch the perfect princess, charming everyone she meets. 

Mary is thinking about her mother, about how she had once dreamed of this betrothal for Mary and that’s when she catches a glimpse of Owen sitting in the Duke of Essex’s lap and a part of her face twists for a moment despite herself. It is so blatant and it hurts still, sometimes that this man is part of her family, that her siblings are his children - by blood or no, they are still his children. And she knows he is loyal, knows many good things about him but she cannot like him and cannot like that he is what he is to her father and other mother. 

“I always thought you might have known” Bess says to her later, as they walk in the gardens together. Her sister is so poised for a girl of barely ten years old and it warms Mary’s heart. “Mama explained, but I don’t think I’ve ever not known, May. I’m sorry if it hurts you that I and Tommy and George and the others love Papa Thomas” 

The use of Bess’s childhood name for her brings tears to Mary’s eyes as she looks at her first little sister. 

“It does sometimes, but I love you all so much and if it means that you are all in the world, I am glad you have so many people who love you. The Duke of Essex and I do not always get on but we both love you all so much.”

Mary has never meant anything more in her life. 

-

“Do you hate me, because I shouldn’t be a prince” is what George asks her and it’s a shock to Mary, it hits her painfully because no, she could never hate George. Not for all the world. 

-

Tommy, Tommy has never asked her about her knowledge of what his parents are to each other but then, Tommy is always so diplomatic about things that Mary is not at all surprised. It is when his betrothal to the Ottoman Sultana is finalised that Tommy comes to her and she can see how happy he is and Mary, Mary thinks she is so glad her brother is to be blessed with a good marriage, whatever her reservations about it. 

“I think you are very brave and very kind, May” is what he says to her and somehow, somehow Mary can see everything else that comes with that and she can feel the warmth in her heart. 

For this, for this she can be glad of The Duke Of Essex.


End file.
